Northwest Missouri State University - Tower Yearbook (Maryville, MO)

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4f . !A 9 ' . -t: ■ - A ■■V ,« Ti K .V- ' - Late Night Sigma Sigma Sigma member, Melinda Bell, helps her sisters pomp late into the night. Sigma Sigma Sigma and Phi Sigma Kappa joined together to build a first place float. Phoio In Kayleen Vaiule Kamp Building Foundations Phi Sigma Kappa members. Matt Drummond and Matt Oyler, drill a frame together An Asian theme was used for the float. P ki(o In Kayleen Vande Kamp pre-homecominq • 23D DD

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Successful Pomping Sigma Sigma Sigma Kati Pugh makes some adjustments to their Asian themed float. It took a little over a month to complete and won first place. Photo by Kayleen Vande Kamy pomped up getting down to the wire Homecoming is known to colleges all over the country. With many contests, activities, Walkout Day, parade and football game, students often cram their schedules with things to do. What most people don ' t know is that for many students, Homecoming preparation events hit their calendars almost a year in advance. Only a week after all the festivities, many Greek organizations will begin making partnerships for next year ' s events. A new Homecoming executive board is elected shortly following the big event and many organizations begin attending meetings to discuss rules and changes to the upcoming year. One of the things that takes the most time involving Homecoming is the parade float. For the 2007 school year, the men of Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity along with the women of Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority teamed up to build their masterpiece. Phi Sigma Kappa had made plans with the sororitv just a week after the 2006 Homecoming weekend ended. The two organizations began building their float on Sept. 1- 56 days before the parade. What started as a farm trailer would soon become an elaborate work of art. Most would say, the basic necessities for building a float for Homecoming would be wood for the frame, lots of chicken wire, glue, tissue paper known as pomps and lots of man hours. Money is also another thing very important in the float building process as one box of pomps containing 24 packages of a certain color can cost over $60. Step one of building a float would be constructing a frame. A wooden frame is needed to support the massive amounts of chicken wire, glue and pomps. Chicken wire by itself is too flexible and light. Building the frame can be one of the most stressful parts. Andrew Nolker, member of Phi Sigma Kappa, was named float chair. Getting the dimensions and everything to meet the requirements in the bylaws is tough, Nolker said. After a frame is built and attached to the trailer, members of the organization will spend many hours unrolling feet of chicken wire. They then cut it to the dimensions needed, snip the thin wire that holds the middle solid and stretch it. Stretching takes multiple people pulling in multiple directions. Stretching is necessary to flatten wire that came rolled in a cylinder. The next step is to cover every square inch of the frame with the stretched chicken wire and attach it with nails or staples. The more tightly pulled the wire is over the frame, the better it will be to decorate. Next comes the most time consum- ing part, what most call pomping the float. Members of Sigma Sigma Sigma and Phi Sigma Kappa used two sheets of pomp slightly offset then twisted them around their index and middle fingers to create a pomp. They then dipped the bottom end into the glue. Hannah Boehner, member of Sigma Sigma Sigma, says it is one of her favorite and least favorite parts. I hate the glue, it ' s nasty. I would rather just roll the pomps and let someone else glue, Boehner said. After dipped in glue, the pomp is then stuck through one of the holes in the chicken wire. Do this a few thousand times over the course of a few weeks and what was once chicken wire covering a frame wifl be a colorful creation. Many things can change as floats are built. Adding a layer of pomps can add inches and weight to your structure. All these are things to consider whfle building, as there is a set of rules everyone must follow set by the executive board. You have to pay attention to detail and watch your measurements as vou build and then make sure it ' s strong enough to go down the road. Then worry that thev all meet requirements for judging, Nolker said. Both Boehner and Nolker agree the time spent was well worth it when getting to hang out with friends. Winning first place, like their float did, made it even more worthwhile. w ■ Megan Tilk d • Erik Schrader 022 DD student life

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Bearcat Royalty King Mac Mohi and Queen Nisha Bharti, wave to the crowd as they ride through the parade. The theme of the parade was Around the World. Plwlo by Kaylccn Vandc Knmpt Winning Float Sigma Sigma Sigma and Phi Sigma Kappa created an Asian float for the Around the World Homecoming theme. The groups received first place. Photo by Kayken Vimde Kamp D24 ■ Student life DD